The invention relates generally to ground working equipment, such as agricultural equipment, and more specifically, to a storage tank mounting arrangement for an agricultural implement.
Generally, fertilizer application implements are towed behind a tractor or other work vehicle via a hitch assembly secured to a rigid frame of the implement. These fertilizer application implements typically include one or more ground engaging tools or openers that form a path for fertilizer deposition into the soil. The openers are used to break the soil, thereby enabling injection nozzles (e.g., positioned behind the openers) to deposit fertilizer at a desired depth beneath the soil surface. In certain embodiments, the implement may include knives (e.g., positioned behind the openers), instead of the injection nozzles, to flow the liquid fertilizer into respective trenches formed by the openers and the knives. Using such implements, fertilizer may be distributed throughout a field, either before or after planting, to facilitate enhanced crop development.
Certain fertilizer application implements include a storage tank configured to hold liquid fertilizer, and to provide the liquid fertilizer to the injection nozzles or the knives. The storage tank is supported by a frame assembly, which may also support a tool bar assembly having the openers, knives, and/or injection nozzles (e.g., as elements of respective row units mounted to the tool bar assembly). For example, the frame assembly may include a structural framework and curved support members mounted to a flat top surface of the structural framework. The curved support members are configured to support a cylindrical storage tank (e.g., a storage tank having a circular or elliptical cross-section) on the flat top surface of the frame assembly. Unfortunately, because the storage tank is mounted above the structural framework, the center of gravity of the implement may be higher than desired, thereby reducing the stability of the implement. In addition, employing curved support members for the cylindrical storage tank may increase the cost and complexity of the implement.